Hi. I'm going to take the plunge and do my first tri in September - st Neots sprint - which is a 750m river swim. I've been pool swimming for the last month and am up to 1000m breaststroke in 30 mins. My crawl is hopeless. I had a 1 to 1 lesson last week and have routines to practice, but I'm really struggling to make a length with any chance of breathing.

Should I persevere with trying to learn crawl or just focus my time on breaststroke given that I only have 8 weeks?

keep persevering with front crawl as it will get better with more practice, but if in doubt on race day, you can always revert to breaststroke if needed.

if you enjoy your 1st tri and are hooked, then join a local tri club as many offer swim coaching
_________________And the lord said unto John; "come forth and receive eternal life." But John came fifth and won a toaster.

Agree - persevere with front crawl as it will "click" but remember there is no shame in doing breast stroke, or some kind of head above water doggy paddle during the event.

If you can get some open water practice in before the event it will pay dividends, and may help avoid the minor panic attack that I often have when in open water - which does nothing to help the breathing!